Excerpted from the book: “Aḥkām wa Masā’il – In the Light of the Qur’an and Sunnah” by Shaykh Mubashar Ahmad Rabbani
Is it permissible to treat non-Muslims who do not fight Muslims with kindness and fairness?
Those non-Muslims who do not fight against Muslims on account of their religion, nor have they expelled Muslims from their homes, then treating them with goodness and justice is not prohibited in Islam.
Allah Almighty says:
﴿لَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُمْ مِنْ دِيَارِكُمْ أَنْ تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ﴾
“Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you on account of religion and do not expel you from your homes — from dealing with them kindly and justly. Verily, Allah loves those who are just.”
— Surah al-Mumtaḥanah (60:8)
Thus, good treatment and fairness toward peaceful non-Muslims is permitted, as long as they do not commit aggression against Muslims.
As for those disbelievers who:
Then fighting such enemies becomes an obligation in order to attain the supremacy of Islam, which is the ultimate objective.
Allah Almighty states in the very next verse of the same Surah:
﴿إِنَّمَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ قَاتَلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَأَخْرَجُوكُمْ مِنْ دِيَارِكُمْ وَظَاهَرُوا عَلَىٰ إِخْرَاجِكُمْ أَنْ تَوَلَّوْهُمْ ۚ وَمَنْ يَتَوَلَّهُمْ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ﴾
“Indeed, Allah forbids you from those who fight you because of your religion, expel you from your homes, and assist others in your expulsion — that you make allies of them. And whoever makes allies of them, then those are the wrongdoers.”
— Surah al-Mumtaḥanah (60:9)
This verse makes it abundantly clear that:
Then whoever extends friendship and cooperation to such enemies is himself a ẓālim (wrongdoer).
Therefore, nations such as America, Britain, and other similar disbelievers — who have:
Fighting such enemies is an obligation, and befriending them is an act of injustice.
Whoever befriends such disbelievers or supports them in any way, then he is regarded as one of them.
✔ Kindness and fairness toward peaceful non-Muslims is permissible.
✔ Hostile disbelievers who attack Islam and Muslims must be resisted, and friendship with them is forbidden.
✔ These rulings are clearly established by the Qur'an.
❖ Question:
Is it permissible to treat non-Muslims who do not fight Muslims with kindness and fairness?
❖ Answer:
Those non-Muslims who do not fight against Muslims on account of their religion, nor have they expelled Muslims from their homes, then treating them with goodness and justice is not prohibited in Islam.
Allah Almighty says:
﴿لَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُمْ مِنْ دِيَارِكُمْ أَنْ تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ﴾
“Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you on account of religion and do not expel you from your homes — from dealing with them kindly and justly. Verily, Allah loves those who are just.”
— Surah al-Mumtaḥanah (60:8)
Thus, good treatment and fairness toward peaceful non-Muslims is permitted, as long as they do not commit aggression against Muslims.
❖ Ruling Regarding Hostile Disbelievers:
As for those disbelievers who:
- Wage war against Muslims for the sake of opposing Islam,
- Inflict harm upon the believers,
- Massacre Muslim children, families, the elderly, and youth,
- Expel Muslims from their homes,
- And even dismantle Islamic governments while working day and night to eliminate the Muslim Ummah —
Then fighting such enemies becomes an obligation in order to attain the supremacy of Islam, which is the ultimate objective.
Allah Almighty states in the very next verse of the same Surah:
﴿إِنَّمَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ قَاتَلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَأَخْرَجُوكُمْ مِنْ دِيَارِكُمْ وَظَاهَرُوا عَلَىٰ إِخْرَاجِكُمْ أَنْ تَوَلَّوْهُمْ ۚ وَمَنْ يَتَوَلَّهُمْ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ﴾
“Indeed, Allah forbids you from those who fight you because of your religion, expel you from your homes, and assist others in your expulsion — that you make allies of them. And whoever makes allies of them, then those are the wrongdoers.”
— Surah al-Mumtaḥanah (60:9)
❖ Implications of the Verse:
This verse makes it abundantly clear that:
- Those disbelievers who fight Muslims over their religion,
- Expel them from their lands,
- Or support other nations in expelling them —
Then whoever extends friendship and cooperation to such enemies is himself a ẓālim (wrongdoer).
❖ Application to Modern Powers:
Therefore, nations such as America, Britain, and other similar disbelievers — who have:
- Waged a crusade against Islam,
- Massacred millions of Muslims,
- Forced them from their homes,
- Rained fire upon them —
Fighting such enemies is an obligation, and befriending them is an act of injustice.
Whoever befriends such disbelievers or supports them in any way, then he is regarded as one of them.
Conclusion:
✔ Kindness and fairness toward peaceful non-Muslims is permissible.
✔ Hostile disbelievers who attack Islam and Muslims must be resisted, and friendship with them is forbidden.
✔ These rulings are clearly established by the Qur'an.
